


The Boy with Yellow Hair

by AlienSkyler, Musiclover435, PrimordiaThePrimordial



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Adoption, Alive Rose Quartz, Alternate Universe, Angst, Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Family Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Breakdown, Mental Instability, Minor Violence, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Romance, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-01-22 15:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21304397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlienSkyler/pseuds/AlienSkyler, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musiclover435/pseuds/Musiclover435, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrimordiaThePrimordial/pseuds/PrimordiaThePrimordial
Summary: For as long as he could remember, Steven was an outcast. His parents were gone, presumably dead, and thanks to his reputation, no one would be his friend. The yellow crystal in his chest, his strange ability to power lightbulbs just by holding them... The glowing yellow eyes when he got upset.But after running away, he finds himself making new allies, and suddenly his life doesn't seem so bad. He has a family, and friends who don't care about his strange features.He can only hope it will last.This is a Yellow Diamond Steven AU with an added original character of mine, Coffinite. She shows up several chapters in.
Relationships: Rose Quartz/Greg Universe
Comments: 28
Kudos: 127





	1. Going, Going, Gone

_How long have I been walking?_

Steven doesn't know. He had started the day's travel in the morning, right after sunrise, and now the sun was almost directly overhead, so... six hours? But then again, days are shorter nearing winter and longer nearing summer, right? Right now it's... Well, that's alarming. He doesn't even know what month it is. He hadn't seen any calendars in the last convenience store he had visited, not that he'd been looking. He had been more concerned about not getting caught by the store owner as he made off with the ten water bottles, five apples and three bags of Chaaaaps in his backpack. He knows he shouldn't have stolen them... but he also knows that without water and food, he'd be dead in... how many days did that documentary say a human could survive without water?... Three days. That was it. 

He had since run out of water. Today is day three, and there's nothing to drink in sight. It's funny, he never thought he'd make it this far. When he ran away from the adoption center and into the surrounding forest, he assumed he would die in those woods. It was dangerous there, everyone said. There were cliffs, predatory animals, venomous snakes... And monsters. The stories were wild and varied. Huge, acid-spitting centipedes. Packs of huge, four-legged beasts, their fur only covering their backs, the rest of their bodies being covered in colorful skin. And of course the story of the Nightcat, a massive, pitch-black, catlike horror with two mouths. He hadn't believed the tales, not really... Until he saw those monsters for himself. 

Turns out, there really _were_ acid-spitting centipedes. He still remembers the acrid, burning fumes of the acid that nearly melted him alive, and the terror of seeing the horrible thing rearing over him, mane spiking out with what he could only assume was aggression. If it weren't for the tree that came crashing down on the screeching monster, he would have been done for. And then, later, the four-legged monster, crashing through the forest as he hid in a bush, desperately hoping it wouldn't find him, and fervently thanking the stars when it didn't. He probably wouldn't be alive now if it had. And then... then there was the Nightcat. 

He had heard it before he had seen it. How could he not, when it was snarling and screaming so loudly? He hadn't dared to take so much as one step outside the small cave he was in while that thing was out there. When he woke up from his uneasy sleep the next morning, he wouldn't have even gone outside if it weren't for how hungry he had been. And later, he nearly ran again, when he pushed aside a branch and found himself at the edge of a clearing it had made. Because it was right there. Lying on its side. 

But it wasn't breathing, and there was a snare made of an inch-thick steel cable choked around its neck. It was dead. No question. So he went up to it. Up close, it was... A beautiful animal. Huge, muscular, with sleek, black fur, and a smooth, faceted black stone on the back of its neck. Almost reverently, he had reached out to feel the creature's fur... _and the creature moved._

How was it moving!? It had a steel cable cutting into its neck, and it wasn't breathing!!! But it was moving anyway. He turned to run, heart pounding, and heard... A small, pitiful mewl. It sounded like a kitten, begging for help. Desperate. Lost and alone. 

Just like him. 

He snaps out of the memory, realizing he's distracted. He needs to focus on what he needs. Water. Unless he finds it, and soon, he's dead. So he keeps walking. There has to be something, somewhere. A gas station, or... or... something! Anything! He's desperate enough to drink out of a muddy puddle, but the ongoing drought means there aren't any, so... so... So he just has to keep walking! He'll find something! A gas station! Maybe a car, passing by on the highway, will stop. There aren't any cars in sight, but... But there will be! There has to be! It's not too late! So he walks, as the sun sinks lower and lower in the sky. 

It's when the sun sets that he realizes... It _is_ too late. His legs give way, too exhausted to keep moving, and he falls to the ground. He's finished. _ I wonder if anyone will remember me..._ is the last thing that runs through his head before he passes out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this a long enough chapter? I'm pretty new to this, so I'm honestly not sure... But due to the fact that I wrote it in one day and that I rarely write, I'd say I'm pretty proud of it. I'll try to update somewhat often to make up for short entries... Providing for time to make sure I don't reach my relatively-easy-to-reach burnout point, of course...
> 
> Also, this kid is like, ten years old, and he literally just passed out from exhaustion and dehydration on the side of the road. Stevie boy definitely got the bad lot in this AU, huh.
> 
> Next chapter will be from Greg's POV, by the way!


	2. Saving Grace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the really supportive comments on the first chapter! I'm really glad you guys like my fanfic so much... It means a lot to me!!
> 
> Also, just thought I should mention that Pendecardiel is a close friend of mine. I added them as a co-creator in case they wanted to help, either by writing chapters or fixing grammatical errors. The main writer, Primordia, is... well, me. You get the point. Just wanted to clarify since I don't think it's possible to tell who wrote what from the site alone.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter! It's a shorter one than last time, but hopefully that's okay, since I'll probably be putting out one almost every day for a while.

_I know I'm not that tall... I know I'm not that smart... Hmm, hmhmhm hmhm hm hm...._

Greg hummed along to the song in his head as he drove down the highway. He had been away from home all day; he'd woken up early to drive to Keystone to pick up a new brush for the car wash. Of course, he could've gotten it from somewhere nearer Beach City... It isn't exactly a hard-to-find type of brush. But... He had needed the break. Things back home have been... Hectic. He isn't sure what exactly happened, and he doesn't really want to, but whatever it was has the Crystal Gems on edge. Actually, no. Scratch that. Judging from the look he'd seen on Pearl's face a few days back, they were a lot more than just on edge. They were nearly panicking. 

Which is why he had driven to Keystone for a car wash brush. The stuff the Crystal Gems dealt with... Saving the planet, fighting monsters... It just wasn't for him. He preferred peaceful moments with Rose. Even if Pearl _did_ tend to spy on them all the time... 

He's snapped out of his thoughts by the sight of something glowing up ahead. As he gets closer, he sees a shape beside the road, dimly lit with yellow light. He slows down, hoping to figure out what it is, and as he nears it... 

It's a child. Lying by the road. Dead or unconscious, he can't tell... The idea of a lost kid passed out by the road, all alone and possibly dying, is too much for Greg to bear. He pulls over and gets out of the van, rushing to the kid's side. They're still breathing; that's good. But... They're so thin, almost emaciated. As he turns the kid over, he sees a long, jagged scar on the kid's face, going right over his left eye and down to his chin. And on his chest... On his chest is a glowing yellow gemstone. 

Greg's breath catches in his throat. A gem!? But gems don't sustain injuries or form scars, right? And they don't need food, either. So why is there a scar on the kid's face? Why is the kid so thin? And... gems don't need to breath, but this kid is clearly breathing, albeit very shallowly.... Now that he thinks about it, the kid looks dehydrated, too. _I can't just leave him here..._ Greg thinks, and makes up his mind. He picks the kid up, and carries him to the van to take him home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, confession time. I'm not good at writing from the POV of characters I didn't create. I actually don't even know if I'll be able to do most of the canon characters justice even from Steven's POV... Whew boy. Doubts are hitting me hard right now.
> 
> Oh well, you never know until you've tried!


	3. Lights Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New and improved chapter 3, woohoo! And to top things off, we've got a new person on the team! (Well, technically two, but one of them doesn't have an AO3 account yet. They'll be added later on.)
> 
> But, without further ado, welcome Musiclover435 to the team!
> 
> Other than that, I hope you've all held out over my little hiatus... Sorry about that. I'm used to anxiety coming to bite me, but sometimes it really likes to gnaw for a while, haha... Thank the stars for my anxiety meds! But anyway, expect more consistent uploads from now on. Well... Maybe not consistent uploads, schedule-wise, but we'll be working on these chapters a lot more consistently. Upload times will depend on how long it takes to get the stuff done, yada yada, you get the point. Anyway, enough of me rambling. Go ahead and enjoy the new Chapter 3!

_“Where did you find him?”_

_ Steven softly groans at the sound of the woman’s voice, trying to snuggle deeper into the soft blanket wrapped around him. _Can’t she tell I’m trying to sleep?_ _

__

__

Wait. Blanket? Woman!? He passed out on the side of the road! Who would have found him…. The adoption center? They stopped looking for him… Right? But who else would have found him!? It has to be them! He has to get out, he has to run, he can’t go back to that place…! 

_Okay, slow down, Steven. You’re not gonna escape them by panicking and thrashing about. Stay calm, assess the situation. Keep your eyes closed and wait for your opportunity to escape._

Someone else is talking. A man this time. Not someone Steven recognizes, but then again, there were a lot of people in the adoption system. He’s hardly met every adult in the system, considering he rarely even got to leave the center he lived at. “I found him on the side of the interstate when I had just exited Keystone. He was in bad shape… I was worried he wouldn’t make the drive here.” 

“But he’s a human! Why not take him to a human hospital? We don’t know anything about taking care of humans!” This third voice sounds upset, almost indignant. More important than the tone, however, are the words. _He’s_ a human? What does that mean?... Is she… Not human? Now Steven wonders if he’s been kidnapped by crazy people. 

“Pearl is correct. Rose may have incredible healing abilities, but we know nothing about caring for humans,” A fourth voice said. The voice sounds unreadable and somewhat matter-of-fact, but yet again, that’s the least of his concerns. Healing abilities? Yep, definitely crazy. 

“Hey, guys!” He hears yet another voice say, followed by a gasp. “Is that a dead body?!... Did you guys kill someone without me?” Steven really doesn’t like the sound of that comment. 

“Amethyst, be reasonable. Greg found this human on the side of the road and brought him here to be healed by Rose.” _That one must be Pearl,_ Steven decides. 

“I dunno, seems pretty dead to me,” Amethyst says, and Steven feels someone, presumably her, poking him on the arm. It takes all of his willpower not to react. He’s usually not too bothered by being touched, but considering these people are probably completely insane, he’s feeling a little iffy about physical contact. 

“Amethyst, please...” 

“Everyone, give the human child some space. Greg and I can handle this.” Another unfamiliar voice… This one reminds Steven a little bit of the old owner of the adoption center, kind and caring. The poor woman had tried so hard to make everyone happy, but there were always too many problems for her to fix. She ended up having to quit when it became too stressful. At least, that’s what Steven had heard… And he believed it. She had been so nice to him, too... 

Steven jolts back to reality as the matter-of-fact voice states, “Oh, by the way, the kid is awake.” Was he that obvious? It seems unlikely; he’s pretty sure he perfected pretending to sleep a long time ago. It fooled everyone at the adoption center, anyway… Seeing his facade is spent, he opens his eyes and sits up. Better to know what’s going on at this point. 

He looks around. Some of them must have left… The only people he can see are a man with long hair and a beard, and a woman, at least eight feet tall, with a white dress, and on her stomach… a pink gemstone. His hand automatically goes to his chest, where, underneath his shirt, a similar crystal can be found… _Is she like me,_ he wonders, _or something else entirely?_

“Hey, kid… How ya feeling?” Steven takes a moment to register the man’s words, lost in thought as he is. “Uhh… Oh. Yeah, I’m…” He pauses, actually taking a moment to think about it. “I feel… surprisingly good, actually… Uh… Who are you?” 

“I’m Greg, and this is Rose.” 

Steven thinks back to what Pearl had said. Greg brought him here to be healed by Rose… At first, he’d paid little to no attention to it; no doubt it was more crazy talk. But… Well, he _does_ feel perfectly fine, despite having passed out of dehydration before waking up here. People don’t just almost die and then wake up completely healthy… And she does have a gem on her stomach, which, if Steven himself is any indication, means she most likely has some sort of… Superhuman ability? Steven never really thought about his powers that way… they had always seemed like more of a curse… But healing people would definitely be a lot more helpful than electrocuting people and having scary eyes. 

Steven looks up again at the sound of Rose’s voice. “Hello, what’s your name?” Rose was bent down in front of Steven so the two had eye contact. “Steven…” Is his reply. 

“Steven…” Greg trails off there. Steven realizes he’s expecting him to give his last name. 

“Just… just Steven.” Greg seems a bit disappointed with that answer but doesn’t press him any further. After a moment, with no one asking any further questions, Steven decides to go ahead and ask Rose about her healing abilities. “So, uh… Rose, you can… heal people?” 

Rose giggles at the question. “Yes, it’s one of the many things I’m capable of.” Steven realizes that means she must have other abilities. If she has more than one ability, does that mean he does, as well? “You can do other things?” 

“Well, of course,” Rose replies. “I can summon shields, control my descent to the ground, and can heal anyone and anything.” Steven stares, starry-eyed. _So many cool abilities!_ “Better than what I can do,” he mutters. 

“What do you mean, Steven?” Rose asked him, her expression filled with curiosity. He considers trying to back out of answering it - he didn’t even realize he was speaking aloud - but she seems so nice, like… like she’d be okay with it, with anything he told her, even. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but… maybe it isn’t. Maybe… he really can trust her. 

“Well… I… Uh..” He’s already fumbling his words… He doesn’t know how to say it. He’s said it before, but… That’s the problem! He’s told people before and it always came back to bite him! He should keep it a secret. He has to keep it a secret! He finally got away from it! He managed to stop it from showing; what if talking about it made it worse!? Somewhere in the back of his head, he knows he should try to calm down, but the idea is lost in the torrent of his internal panic. 

Steven, lost in his panic, doesn’t notice as the gem on his chest starts to glow. He doesn’t notice as the headlights of the van begin to light up. He doesn’t even notice when they and the light in the van brighten further until they become blinding. 

He does, however, notice when they explode. 


	4. Questions and Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musiclover435 here. Just a heads up, an updated chapter 3 has been posted for Y'all to check out. It has some explanation of why this story now has three co-creators. Anyway, hope Y'all enjoy chapter 4. :)

_”MY VAN!!”_

Steven pales at the realization of what he just did. _I broke the lights again… I thought I was better than that now._ Oh well. At least he didn’t start arcing lightning this time. And to be honest, he’d probably never have been able to tell them anyway. Showing them was at the very least more efficient, despite being an accident. 

Steven looks up at Rose and Greg. Rose has her shield up, while Greg is looking down in anguish at the still-smoking pieces of the van’s ceiling light. Looking down, Steven realizes his gem is still glowing and tries to hide it with his hands. _Stupid rock! All you do is make me miserable… You make everyone miserable._

_ __ _

_ __ _

“Is… is that what you meant by what you can do?” Greg asks Steven. Despite his obvious distress over the damage to his van, he doesn’t seem to blame Steven for it too much. Rose, on the other hand, looks almost terrified. “You…. You’re a gem! But… you’re clearly also organic, which means…” Her expression shifts to one of dawning comprehension, before... 

A grin lights up her face. “Greg, do you know what this means!? He’s a hybrid! I’ve wondered if it was possible, but I wasn’t sure… But look! It really can be done, and it really has!” She turns to Steven. “What’s it like? What type of gem are you? What’s your weapon? What else can you do!? Oh, this is so exciting!” She continues like this, asking question after question without giving Steven time to answer. She’s clearly very excited… But Steven is only confused, not to mention he's also overwhelmed. 

“What do you mean, ‘hybrid’?” Steven asks, confused by the term. Like, he knows what the word means, but… He’s a hybrid? _What does Rose mean? A hybrid of what, exactly?_ Rose doesn’t keep him waiting for an answer. “You know, half gem and half-human?” Okay, maybe not an answer. More like a fact, like he should already know it. 

“Rose, Steven still looks confused. Maybe you should explain what Gems are so he can have a better idea of what you mean?” Greg tells Rose who nods in agreement. “Steven…” 

“ROSE!!” Everyone turns at the shouting of Pearl’s voice. Steven paled at the sight of the three people with weapons in their hands. The white woman had a spear, the purple one had a whip with spikes on it, and the tall red one had gauntlets on her hands. _Oh jeez, they’re armed as well… that whip looks nasty,_ Steven thought, wincing at the idea of getting hit by it. 

“What happened? We heard an explosion!” The white one shouts, this must be Pearl, Steven deduces. “Yeah, and this time, it wasn’t caused by me!” The purple woman shouts. “Amethyst, you were with us, so you couldn’t have caused the explosion. However, I’m not sure what did.” The tall red woman says in a blunt voice. Okay, so the purple is Amethyst and the tall red one is Garnet, Steven deduces. 

“Everything is fine. The explosion was an accident. It was Steven,” Rose told them. Steven clutches the blanket around him, pulling it closer to him. _Why did Rose have to say that? Now they’re gonna know about my stupid gemstone!_ “Whoa! I didn’t know humans could do that!” Amethyst says gleefully. “Amethyst, please. While humans can cause explosions, I highly doubt that a human Steven’s age could do this.” Steven rolls his eyes, he had seen kids way younger than him make stink bombs. 

“Pearl, Amethyst, give Rose and Greg time to explain,” Garnet tells them. “Thank you, Garnet. Steven is a hybrid. He’s half-gem and half-human!” Rose says with excitement in her voice. Steven pales at what Rose told the others. _Now everyone is going to know that I’m a freak._

"What?! How?! That’s impossible! We’re not even organic! How can a gem and a human have a child?!” Pearl shouts in a voice of disbelief. “Pearl, calm down. I’m sure Greg and Rose have an explanation,” Garnet tells her flatly. “Actually, we don’t. Steven really never got a chance to say anything since you guys came blazing in with your weapons,” Greg tells them. The three blush in embarrassment - well, not Garnet, but the other two - then put away their weapons, which seem to just… glitter and disappear? Steven’s beyond weirded out at this point, but, just like many other things, it’s the least of his problems. Everyone stares at Steven waiting for him to talk, but he doesn’t know what to say. _What do they want from me? An explanation? About what?! How this stupid stone is a curse? How I’m a freak who can’t do anything right? How I’m a parentless kid who will never have a family?_

“I think we should probably explain what gems even are first,” Rose suggests. “Are you kidding?! We don’t even know if he’s a threat to the Earth or not!” Pearl says. _I don’t think she likes me…_

Garnet walks over to Steven, goes to face level with him, and just stares at him. After a few, mildly uncomfortable moments, she stands back up and says, “He’s cool.” 

“Are you serious?!” Pearl shouts, clearly in disbelief. Amethyst, however, seems delighted. “So we can keep him?!” She asks, clearly very excited by the prospect. The phrasing is a bit off-putting, but to Steven, it’s honestly preferable than getting attacked. 

“Steven, what do you know about your gem?” Rose asks Steven. Steven stays quiet. Besides electrocuting people, he can’t do anything good with it. All he can do is hurt people… He’d give anything to have been born a normal kid. 

Rose doesn’t seem bothered by his silence. She’s patient with him - something he isn’t used to. “We don’t have to talk about it now if you don’t want to.. Here. Would you like me to explain what a gem is first?_They’re asking me what I want? Normally, I get told what to do and I’m expected to do it. Everyone is always telling me what to do but this is the first time in a while when someone actually asked me what I want._ Steven nods. 

“So, gems are beings whose physical forms are projections of their bodies from their gemstone. Each of us has a specific weapon or skill that can be used in battle or to help others.” Rose tells Steven. It’s a lot for him to take in. _So, I’m half-organic? These guys aren’t even human?!_

“Steven, do you have any questions?” Rose asks him after a minute or so from finishing her explanation of gems. Steven stayed quiet for a brief moment then said, “So, wait… are you guys aliens or something? 

“Calling them aliens makes it awkward. It’s more like... magic stuff.” Rose Quartz giggles at that, giving Greg a look. “Well, Steven’s probably pretty hungry by now,” Steven’s stomach clearly agrees, deciding to growl at just that moment. “Yeah… I am kinda hungry…” 

“Well, that settles it. C’mon, Steven, let’s get you something to eat.” 


	5. Somewhere to Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Musiclover435 here, sorry for the late chapter. We've all been pretty busy lately. With classes being online, it's been a bit more difficult for us to get together and work on the story. But I can assure Y'all that we are all fine. Please follow the CDC's guidelines! Wash your hands frequently!! Please stay safe!

_”Here we are!”_

Steven and Greg arrive at a restaurant. According to the sign, it’s called ‘Fish Stew Pizza’. Steven thinks it’s a weird name for a restaurant, but to be fair, he’s probably weirder. 

“Here we are, Steven,” Greg tells Steven. Steven remains silent. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.” The two walked into the restaurant and are greeted with a shout. “Hey, Mr. Universe! How’s it going?” 

“Hey, Kiki, two pizzas, please,” Greg tells her, “You got it, Mr. Universe.” Kiki turns to the back and shouts, “Yo, I need two pizzas! Greg style!” 

Greg leads Steven to a table in the corner. Steven chooses the chair deepest in the corner, hunching his shoulders and making himself as small as possible. He pulls the neck of his t-shirt up a bit to make sure his gemstone is hidden… _No need to draw attention to myself._

_ __ _

_ __ _

It was silent between Greg and Steven as the two waited for their pizza. Greg was about to say something but Kiki arrived with their pizzas. “Here you go, two pizzas, Greg style.” Then she notices Steven. She gasps loudly. “OMG, Greg, is this your son?!” 

Steven’s eyes grew wide at the question. _Wait, what?!_ Steven didn’t know what to say but Greg said, “Oh, nononono. This is Steven. I’m watching him for a friend of mine.” __

_ __ _

_ __ _

“Oh, well. No problem, Greg. I brought your usual, two pepperoni pizzas. Hey, Steven, if you get the chance, you should come hang out with me and my friends, okay?” Kiki sets down the two pizzas and walks off. 

Steven smells the pizzas and looks up from his lap. _Huh?_ The pepperonis on the pizzas are arranged in a unique shape on both pizzas. Some sort of music symbols? Seeing his confused expression, Greg said, “If you’re wondering, those are music clefs. This one’s a bass clef, and yours is a treble clef.” __

_ __ _

_ __ _

“Oh… Sorry, I’m… not very familiar with music stuff…” Steven says, somewhat embarrassed. He’d had a music class at school, but he’d never really paid much attention. He had shared that class with Jakob for the last five years… He’d been more concerned with trying to block out the constant taunting and vicious comments than paying attention to the teacher. 

“I can teach you if you want. Music has been an important part of my life, and it helps me relax.” Steven gave Greg a small smile. “Thanks.” 

The two eat in silence for a bit then Greg asks, “Steven... what were you doing on the side of the road...? It looked like you were in there for a few days.” Steven stays quiet for a bit. _Should I tell Greg the truth? He lied to Kiki about me, so... I might be able to trust him… But what if I can’t? What if he tells someone!? I don’t want to go back! I… I can’t go back!_ Seeing Steven’s hesitation, Greg quickly added, “You don’t have to tell me right now, Steven.” __

_ __ _

_ __ _

Steven looked at Greg. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Steven. I would like to know… but I can wait. You can tell me when you're ready.” Steven smiled at Greg and said, “Thanks.” 

The two continued to eat in silence and once they finished their meal, they left Fish Stew Pizza. Greg paused and glanced at Steven’s clothes. “Hey, Steven, would you like some new clothes? Your clothes look like they could fall apart any second now.” Steven looked down at his outfit; it _was_ in pretty bad shape. “Yeah.... new clothes would be good.” 

Greg took Steven to the mall to buy him some clothes and a few extra things: a toothbrush, toothpaste, pajamas, and even a blow-up mattress with a small bed set for Steven to sleep on. Now came the problem that Greg had an idea for, but he didn’t think Steven would like it. As they were leaving the mall, Greg says, “Steven, I don’t have a place for you to stay for the night. I live in my van and I don’t think you should stay in my van with me.” 

“I’ve slept on the ground in the woods. Sleeping in a van won’t kill me,” Steven said, his voice indifferent. Greg found that a bit concerning - the idea of a child Steven’s age sleeping alone in the wilderness was a terrifying one - but knowing Steven, pressing him would most likely damage the tentative amount of trust the boy had for him. However, that wasn’t the point of his statement either way. 

“That’s… Not what I meant. I’m just… I’m not your parent or caretaker; I’d prefer you didn’t sleep close to me when you barely even know who I am.” Greg tried to put it gently, while still getting the point across. Steven seemed to get it, judging from his expression. 

“So, who will I stay with?” 

“Well… that’s the thing… Everyone around here knows each other and eventually, they’ll get curious about you and your gem. Normally they don’t care since Amethyst is always going around town, but I think it might still be best if you stay with the gems tonight.” 

Steven thought about this for a moment. He’s not sure if he trusts the gems, but… Well, if they’re like him… If they have abilities like he does, they might be better suited to deal with him than most people. And… maybe they could help him, too. 

He nods. 


End file.
